PARIS,
30 July 2002 - The
season at the Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines ended
with Emergences 4, a most enjoyable programme of four short
pieces created by virtually unknown choreographers. Since 1999, the
far-seeing theatre director, Pierre Moutarde has followed a highly
successful policy of presenting works of quality by young people who
possess neither the renown nor the troupe to interpret their ballets.

"It was when I began my programme of Dance in Europe,
presenting such famous names as Nacho
Duato and Uwe Sholz
to show what was happening elsewhere on the continent, that I
wanted simultaneously to give opportunities to choreographers at the
beginning of their career", Mr. Moutarde told me.

"Four
years ago," he continued," I began by introducing people
whose work I had had seen and admired, including Lionel Hoche, who is
French, Paolo Mohovich, an Italian choreographer no one else had heard
of, and Tero Saarinen,
who was beginning to make a name for himself, from Finland. I "discovered"
Saarinen when I went to Helsinki. He had been the star dancer of the
Ballet of Finland and
was guesting with them at the time, but when he spoke to me of his
choreography I just had to see what he was doing".

SogChoreography:
Mirko Mahr Photo: Andreas Birgit

What
began almost as an experiment was so successful, that now, each June,
promising choreographers from all over Europe are presented at the
theatre. The director receives countless video cassettes by mail,
established choreographers contact him with suggestions of people
whose work they feel they can recommend, but more usually, Moutarde
sees for himself what is happening wherever he happens to be.

"The
last time I was in Leipzig", he commented, "there was a
workshop where six or seven members of the company were presenting
their personal creations and I was so impressed by the originality and
strength of what Mirko Mahr was doing that I invited him to take part
in Emergences this season. "

Certainly,
the two works presented by Mahr, pure product of the Conservatory of
Liepzig and member of the company since 1985 would have drawn anyone's
attention. Sog,( Aspiration), set to music by Philip Glass ,
an expressive and dramatic solo was powerfully interpreted by Michael
Goldhahn, who also appeared in a beautiful second piece, Das ICH,
(Me), music Bruno Kram, with Gabor Zsitva

Synergie
2Choreography: Massimo Giradi Photo: Jurgen Schroeder

The
Italian choreographer, Massimo Giradi, who has worked in his home
country as well as in Germany, and with
Philippe Découflé
in France presented Synergie 2, an interesting short ballet
for two couples, inspired by Bix Toxic, La Fura dels Bau. Noces
d'Amor, a duo for two dancers actors by Pierre Meunier,
interpreted with charm and delicacy by Yann Tierson and Ana Belen
completed a well-balanced evening.

Next year the theatre will
host choreographers from France, Spain, Italy , and Israel, although
Israeli-born Yuval Pick, winner of the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris
at the International Competition has resided in France for some time
now. "I've met him several times", Moutarde continued,"
and his personality has always intrigued me, so that when he contacted
me with his idea to create a personal work inspired by Debussy's Prélude
à l'aprés-midi d'un faune, I didn't hesitate one
minute".

Yann
Tierson and Ana Belen in Noces d'AmorPhoto: Muriel
Valmont

However,
after programming works he had already seen, Pierre Moutarde is now
launching out into the world of creation. He told me that he was not
taking a great risk with Luca Veggetti whose work he first saw in
Turin last year. Veggetti's ballets were sensual and musical, and he
added that he felt confident in asking the Italian for a creation.

Rendez-vous
June 2003 at the Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines!

Patricia Boccadoro writes on dance in
Europe. She contributes to The Guardian, The Observer and Dancing Times
and was dance consultant to the BBC Omnibus documentary on Rudolf
Nureyev. Ms. Boccadoro is the dance editor for Culturekiosque.com.